'Going out ... to the dirty boulevard'

Everyone remembers the first CD you bought, but anyone remember the second one? Mine was "New York," the 1989 album by Lou Reed.

I was a huge Velvet Underground fan for most of the '80s, and I came across "New York" almost by accident while looking for a copy of "White Light/White Heat" one day in a music store. (Yes, YES! A music store! Where we used to buy music long before the days of Amazon.com and iTunes.)

"Dirty Boulevard" would eventually reach No. 1 on the modern rock chart, but really the whole album is a most-own for any '80s fanatic. (Rolling Stone ranked it 19th on its list of best albums of the 80s, right behind "Dirty Mind" by Prince.)

Lou's been bouncing around my desk here for a few days now. Sony BMG just released a "Very Best of Lou Reed" CD (sadly with nothing from "New York" on it). And just today, word came out that his 1973 concert film "Berlin" is coming out on DVD this fall. Looks like my holiday wish list is filling up fast.

About this blog

Relive the '80s music, movies and culture with Tampa Bay Times correspondent Steve Spears. A teen during the greatest decade ever, Steve is obsessed with everything from Duran Duran to Journey, John Hughes to John Cusack, and parachute pants to big hair.